Vegreville here we come. Are you ready?

Joe got a job in Vegreville and we found a place. There is no carpeting to ruin but I am kinda worried about the laminate wood floor. The kitchen is small but new and nice. There are so many drawers I have no idea what to fill them with. We have 4 here which is the most we have ever had. There are 9 drawers I think in our new place. Kaleb will have fun. We move on the 13 out of here and into the new place on the 14th. We went today to get Joe set up for next week and Ben was mad we weren't staying at the New House. He wanted to sleep on the air mattress. I think he got over it. Wish me luck with the packing and the cleaning. Both of which are not fun. Expecially since Joe has untaped a few boxes and I packed 1 of my flip flops that I always wear. Not both of them just one.

Kaleb is getting way to Smart!!!!

This evening while downstairs Kaleb stole the bathroom stool. He took it into Joe's and my room and proceeded to try and reach some stuff up on the ledge which was still to high. So he picked up the stool took it to my dresser and grabbed stuff off of there. He has never done that before. At first I thought that Ben had moved the stool and he was just seizing the opportunity but than I remembered Ben had just used it in the bathroom. Kaleb is going to be the sneaky get into everything kid but yet still innocent.

Changes are happening

If you all haven't heard Joe lost his job about 2 weeks ago. I like living in Red Deer and really dread the idea of having to move. But he is searching for a job and luckily I am able to pick up extra hours at Wholesale which will help. I also get medical and dental benefits and 10% off at Loblaw stores which is wonderful. He also will be able to go on Employment Insurance which will help alot as well.
Kaleb got his 1 year shots a little late but that is ok and felt the effects of it. He had a fever this weekend and then got measle like spots all over his body. Poor boy!
Benjamin is running up a storm. I am beginning to think he will wear out the carpeting in this place.
Today was a really nice day here. I am almost dreading summer because I don't know if I can take any hotter temps and it wasn't that hot about 22C(71F) now I really feel silly once I converted it into Farenheit it seriously is not even remotely hot. On the flipside we did just have snow here last week so can I blame it on the quick change?
The house warmed up enough to melt the icing on my cupcakes does that give me any more excuses?
Funny story I remembered at work about Lethbridge Wholesale garden centre
Customer: Do you bring in all of your plants at night?
Cashier: No
Cust: Don't people steal them
Cashier: Well we put in little cameras in all of the plants and if someone steals one then it turns on and we come and find them.
Cust: Oh I see.
I remembered this story cause the GM Manager brought out a big thing of plants and I was told that Red Deer doesn't have a garden centre. So I started freaking out a bit but was reassured that we were only getting a few Hostas and they would stay inside. I hated the garden centre cause half of the codes didn't work and noone knew how to read the price signs so as a cashier we were running in and out to find the codes or double check prices.

One year in Red Deer coming up so soon

I can't believe it. I will have been living in Red Deer for a year in like 10 days. Crazy! It doesn't feel that long. I still feel new here but I don't think I can claim to be new. I really like Red Deer. I enjoy how close to Edmonton and Calgary we are. Red Deer is pretty much smack dab in the middle. The playgrounds here are everywhere. The weather is a bit colder than wanted but hey I don't deal with nearly as much wind as I did in Lethbridge. I especially am looking forward to the light come summer time. I love it being light until about 10:30 at night.
The boys are doing great. Ben is three now. Kaleb is walking up a storm and loves not having clothes on.

Joe's brother comes home from Peru tomorrow!!! I can't believe it has been two years already. He ate cat. Just thought I would through that one out there.

Work is going well for me. People are the same everywhere. Some are nice and others well......
Well gotta run and make sure Kaleb isn't on my table again. Sigh! that kid can climb anything. Just not out of his crib. Knock on wood.

Good deals!

A few weeks ago there was a coupon in the Superstore flyer that said spend 250 get a $25 gift card so I decided to do just that. Here is the wonderful catch I also get 10% off there because I work for Wholesale Club which is a sister company to Superstore which means I have to buy close to $275 worth of groceries. I also had $70 worth of PC points (for those who don't know PC points come from banking with PC financial and a person can redeem these points for free groceries) so I thought how about I cash them in too. Then I realized I also had 2 $25 gift cards in my wallet from a few months ago when they had the same coupon in their flyer and used them. I also had about $20 worth of coupons just waiting to be used so I used those to. This all added up to me walking out of the grocery store with over $300 worth of groceries and paid about$130 oh and I also receieved a $25 gift card to use on another visit!!! I still am happy thinking about this.

Well today guess what I found in the Superstore flyer another spend $250 get $25 free. I also had about $20 worth of coupons to use again. This time I had to pay more but I walked out of Superstore with over $300 worth of groceries and clothes again and paid about $250 plus I have a $25 gift card to use another time too. I like getting great deals.
Kara

Part 2

On Saturday we pretty much just visited with Grandma. We convinced after about 40 min to get in her wheelchair and we would take her for a cruise around Michelson. We sat outside for a few minutes and watched Benjamin run around. We had a pizza delivered for dinner and I don't know if I remember Grandma eating so much. She must have enjoyed the change.
Sunday we were able to get her to church with plenty of time to spare. I went super early and she was ready but then she ended up not being quite ready. But we still had plenty of time. She is like royalty at church. Lots of people came by to say hi and good to see you. She really enjoyed all of the attention she got. So we went back to Michelson and visited some more with Grandma. We were able to convince her to go outside and sit in the courtyard while Benjamin kicked a ball he found around. She just loved watching Ben run and laugh. I tried to take pictures of her with the kids but by the time I got Ben to sit still and then got Grandma to look at me Benjamin was off running. Oh well, I did get some good shots of them. I really enjoyed being able to visit with Grandma. I hadn't seen her in about 2 years but when I was there she was having a few good days and seemed to remember a lot. She doesn't always remember that she is in a wheelchair. Because when we get up to go she almost tries to get up and then says something like "Oh yeah I am in a wheelchair, I don't have to get up".
Mom had warned me that Grandma had been mean to Laura the last time they were up but I think it was more because she was being moved to somewhere she didn't and still doesn't thinks she needs to be because she didn't say anything mean to us.
Where Grandma lives is really nice. There is carpeting on the floors and it doesn't smell like a nursing home. There are pretty pictures on the walls and the nurses seem to be very nice and helpful. Grandma did say to me that she thought was living in a prison and I said laughing that this is a very nice prison then. She laughed with me at that too.
Our adventures in downtown Chicago to come........

To Chicago we go! Part one

We left on Friday the 6th to go and visit Grandma Jeanne in Batavia (near Chicago for those who don't know). We almost were not able to go because Benjamin, Kaleb, and I were all sick pretty much up until we were supposed to leave. We also noticed some car issues Wednesday night and took it into be checked out Thursday. Turned out we needed 3 new motor supports (apparently if the supports were to fail we would have dropped the motor and done some serious damage to probably everything) and a water pump. But it couldn't be fixed in time for us to drive to Calgary. Mom to the rescue. She drove from Drumheller Thursday night and took us to the airport Friday morning and then drove home to Drumheller after that. Thanks Mom for taking us.


Getting through the airport wasn't to bad security was packed and customs was super easy to get through. We arrived at the terminal and Joe goes off to find us food to eat for lunch. Pretty much as soon as Joe got back it was time to board. Now imagine 1 stroller, 1 carseat, 1 baby to hold once we get on the plane, 1 Benjamin running around like a maniac, 3 backpacks, 1 tray of 3 pops, and 1 bag of food to carry onto the plane. Hmmmm we don't have quite enough hands. Especially since Kaleb needed to be taken out of the stroller right before we board the plane and the stroller needed to be collasped as well. That was fun figuring all of that out. We got through it though and LEARNED our lesson: If you need to eat at the airport either give yourself lots of extra time or buy stuff that can be easily thrown into a backpack. Life lessons are great aren't they.


Plane time. Benjamin was pretty good on the plane. Kaleb wasn't. He cried and cried and then puked all over me, his shirt, his blanket yuck. After that though he was better. Were finally landed and Benjamin looked out the window and saw another plane and said to me that he wanted to ride that plane too. Kids are silly.



After some scary driving in Chicago in the dark and not knowing if we were going in the right direction we arrived at our first destination: Sonic. Mmmmmm Cherry Limeades I sure did miss them. Finally we arrived at the hotel and we all eventually fell asleep.



The next morning we got up and surprised Grandma. We walked into her room and she was napping in her chair but when I turned back she was awake and had the most shocked smiling face ever. It felt really good to be able to go and visit. She was so happy to have us there.



More to come......